After Venti took Bonanus away
Yanfei's Residence
Zhongli sat in the courtyard, quietly drinking tea. Beside him was an aged, elderly woman—a former comrade, a present friend, and a keeper of contracts.
This was Granny Ping. To be more precise, in Zhongli's eyes, the elderly woman before him was simply Ping.
"Say, how long has it been since you last came here to drink tea with me?" Granny Ping asked with a hint of nostalgia.
"I don't remember. But it must have been a long time."
Zhongli picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. He gazed quietly in the direction where Venti had left, a trace of unease in his expression.
Seeing Zhongli's worried look, Granny Ping set her teacup on the stone table and said calmly,
"Bonanus will get better."
"I hope so..."
---
The two elderly beings sat chatting in the courtyard while Yanfei, holding a basin of cool water and a cloth, carefully wiped the dirt and grime from the two Yakshas' faces and arms.
Since they were of different genders, Yanfei couldn't very well strip them bare to clean them—that would make her a pervert!
Besides, she would be too embarrassed. The rest would have to be done by someone of the same gender. She certainly wasn't going to do it!
"What exactly did the adepti go through?" Yanfei muttered to herself. She was genuinely curious—what kind of being could harm these great adepti?
That Sister Bonanus had suffered such a fate was truly baffling. Yanfei was deeply worried about Bonanus, but there was nothing she could do.
She knew the law, not medicine.
And according to Granny, Sister Bonanus had been taken away by someone from Mondstadt. When did that happen? She hadn't seen anything.
And where was Uncle Bosacius? She hadn't seen him in days. She had no idea what he was doing or whether he knew what had happened to his siblings.
If Bosacius found out, he would surely be furious—so angry his lungs might burst—and he would hunt down whoever had hurt his family.
After wiping the dirt from Xiao's face and arms, Yanfei moved over to Menogias.
This young-looking man was very handsome. Though it was her first time seeing him, why did he feel so familiar?
As she cleaned him, her mind raced through memories. She was sure she had seen this man in a book. Where?
After a moment...
It didn't take the clever Yanfei long to remember who this was. She recalled seeing his portrait in a book about the guardian Yakshas.
Though the image was unclear, it was still distinguishable.
No wonder he had felt so familiar! But according to records, this man was supposed to be dead... What was happening? Was he a ghost?
How strange! She would have to visit Director Hu Tao at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor sometime and ask her. Surely she would understand these things.
Yes! That was a good idea. She also wanted to see that adorable director anyway. For some reason, Yanfei was quite fond of Hu Tao.
After cleaning the two Yakshas' faces, Yanfei carried the basin of dirty water back to the courtyard to dump it out.
As she did, she overheard a conversation between her grandmother and Mr. Zhongli.
"Are you going to tell Bosacius about this?" Granny Ping asked with a frown.
"No need. He already knows."
Zhongli shook his head lightly. Bosacius and the other guardian Yakshas were connected in a certain way. He must have already sensed what had happened to his kin.
Hopefully, this wouldn't disturb his peace of mind. The matter Bosacius was handling was not easy either—full of unknowns and dangers.
Listening to the two elders' conversation, Yanfei's head filled with question marks. Granny and this Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant were so mysterious!
She was curious about what they were discussing, but due to her status as a junior, she couldn't interrupt. She could only slip back into her room.
She lay down on her large bed, exhausted. The earlier drowsiness was gone. Her heart was full of worry for Bonanus.
Since Yanfei was completely in the dark, she didn't know the details or the extent of Bonanus's injuries. How frustrating!
I hope Sister will be okay! And I wish these adults wouldn't be so mysterious—it always made her so curious!
And that was that~
---
Two days slowly passed, and a new day arrived.
During this time, Liyue had once again become abuzz with lively topics. The most discussed was: "Another adeptus has returned—Menogias."
After the news spread, it reignited the people's enthusiasm. One more adeptus meant one more layer of protection!
Liyue could never have too many guardians.
No one knew what was happening, but in the past year, three adepti had returned. The people of Liyue were overjoyed.
But for some, this return was nothing short of a supernatural event. They knew a thing or two about the adepti's stories.
According to records, this man had been dead.
However, that thought was soon dispelled by another message.
The message was essentially Rex Lapis's personal word: Menogias had not truly died. He had merely fallen into a deep coma due to severe injuries, sleeping for over a hundred years in some cave.
Only recently had he returned. Since he had just awakened, he needed time to recuperate, so people wouldn't see him for a while.
At the same time, both the Conqueror of Demons and the other fearsome Yaksha were also going into seclusion for training due to certain circumstances.
The people didn't think much of it. Training in seclusion was normal.
It wasn't just the adepti—there were often legends in Liyue Harbor about Rex Lapis himself cultivating.
Whether he actually did or not was anyone's guess.
Some rejoiced, others worried. Not everyone was happy about an adeptus's return. The Fatui were a prime example—as were some of Liyue Harbor's higher-ups.
For the Fatui, this was another unknown variable that could disrupt their plans.
No matter how strong the Fatui were or how far their influence spread, they had little intelligence on the adepti. It was a headache.
As for why some of Liyue's higher-ups were troubled by an adeptus's return... those in the know understood.
---
Dihua Marsh
On the Rooftop of Wangshu Inn
Xiao, who had woken up not long ago, sat quietly. He gazed toward Mondstadt, unmoving, silent.
He had not fully recovered and still needed several more days of rest. But Xiao didn't care.
Menogias had been saved—that was good news. Yet he was still unconscious. Bonanus had left Liyue for treatment in Mondstadt.
He was frustrated. If only he had been more careful, things wouldn't have turned out so badly. There would be no next time...
The image of Bonanus being pierced flashed through his mind, giving him a headache. He missed Sister Bonanus so much... When would she come back? He couldn't wait a single moment longer.
She would get better, wouldn't she? She had to get better...
Xiao licked his dry lips. His throat felt parched. He sat there alone, replaying that day's events.
---
Outer Perimeter of The Chasm's Surface
Bosacius, one of the five great Yakshas, had arrived here several days ago. He had been dealing with threats and cleaning up messes without a moment's rest.
Now, his self-assigned task was done. It was time to return.
He wanted to go straight back to Liyue Harbor and ask Rex Lapis—and Alatus—what had happened.